Putting the World to Sleep

A soothing lullaby poem introduces gentle images, such as a big dog drowsing by the fire, a mother humming, and a baby yawning, as it helps tired youngsters fall asleep.

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From Publishers Weekly

“The soothing cadences of cumulative verse will easily lull young readers of this beguiling bedtime book. As the text begins, "The moon climbs over the mountain each night,/ putting the world to sleep"; with each turn of the page nightfall advances just a bit more ("The crickets start singing farewell to the day/ as the moon climbs over the mountain each night..."). Debut author Thomas brings this sequence to a graceful if anticipated conclusion as a "dreamy-eyed baby yawns big and wide" and an older sister bids "Good night, world." Christensen's (An Edible Alphabet) intricately etched colored prints shows a mother and her two children, first under a darkening sky, then returning to their rural house and, finally, preparing for bed. She makes exceptional use of light-the rising moon, the steady fire by the hearth, the blaze of electricity each glow with their own subtle intensity. Ages 4-8.”

Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

“PreSchool-Grade 2?A cumulative free-verse poem about the gradual falling of dusk and the rising of the moon. The story moves from the outside world?a salt-marsh farm near the East Coast?to inside a cozy cabin. As a mother rocks her baby to sleep, her young daughter mirrors her actions by rocking her stuffed bear. Finally, the youngster and teddy are in their own bed, where all goodnight books end. The lulling effect of the repeated phrases succeeds in slowing the action, calming readers and listeners, and the tale ends on an appropriately quiet note. The effects of the words are upheld by the pictures, which are wood engravings with watercolor accents. The lines are so fine and careful that they are worthy of comparison to Nancy Burkert's work in detail, and to Maurice Sendak's in delicate shading and distancing. But the colors?deep blues and luminous moonlight, delicate skintones and gradual deepening of the sky's light and dark?set this book apart. The variation of long, overhead, and closeup shots give the pictures and the text a sense of movement, of stately rejoicing in the coming of night.” Ruth K. MacDonald, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, MA

Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

“Ages 3-6. In a world of many different customs and cultures, this serene picture book celebrates nature's universal bedtime rituals. The story is told in cumulative verse in rhythmic, sensory-loaded language, and each turn of the page adds another brushstroke to nature's canvas--crickets sing, stars shine, darkness falls "as the moon climbs over the mountain each night." Christensen's striking artwork appears to be done on scratchboard, an extremely difficult surface to work on but one that lends itself well to nighttime scenes. The illustrations are exceptional, though the book's modest size minimizes the feeling of grandeur and majesty that text and art strive to convey. Nevertheless, young children will love the visual detail and repetitious language of this gentle bedtime story.” Lauren Peterson